Drifting apparatus for locomotives.



F. C."FOSDICK. DRIFTING APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVES."-

APPLICATION HLE D SEPT- 3, 1915-- I 4 Patented J 1113 4, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. C. FOSDICK.

DRIFTING APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTlVES,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3. I815.

Patented July 4, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SH EET 3.

FRANK G. FOSDI CK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIFTING APPARAT S FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed September 3, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

1% it known that I, FRANK C. Fosnron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drifting Apparatus for Locomotives, of which the following is a! specification.

To prevent the formation of a vacuum in the cylinders of a. locomotive when drifting, that is to say, when running without steam, it has been the practice to admit air to the cylinders. This practice is reasonably satisfactory in case of locomotives which do not use superheated steam. In locomotives provided with superheaters, the cylinders become so highly heated during normal running that when steam is shut off and air admitted, the lubricating oil in the cylinder flashes in the presence of the air, with the result that serious damage is done to the pistons and cylinder walls while the engine is drifting. To avoid such injury to superheater locomotives, it has been proposed to leave the throttle slightly open when it is desired'to drift, thus permitting the passage of suflicient steam to the cylinders to prevent the formation of a vacuum therein. When steam is thus admitted to the cylinders, the engine, of course, pulls against the brakes when the engineeris stopping the train; If the engineer always had the throttle open at the same point when drifting, he would learn how to apply the brake pressure so as to stop in the required manner; but in practice the engineer cannot set the throttle exactly at the same point every time he wishes the engine to drift and therefore the engine pulls with varying strength while the brakes are being applied. and the engineer cannot judge how to apply the brakes so as to stop in the desired manner. For this reason engineers usually close the throttle completely when the engine is to drift, without regard to the harm done to the engine cylinders and pistons. I

It has been proposed to use a valve which will automatically supply a small amount of steam to the engine cylinders as soon as the throttle is closed, but if no means is provided for automatically shutting the flow of steam to the cylinders when the loco motive stops, experience has shown that Specification of Letters Patent.

ing the features of my Patented July 4, 1916.

Serial No. 48,760.

there is danger of the locomotive. running away.

The object of this invention is to provide an mproved apparatus for automatically admitting a. definite small amount of steam to the cylinders when the engineer closes the throttle, and for automatically shutting off such supply of steam when the locomotive stops.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a diagrammatic view of a locomotive equipped with a drifting apparatus embodyinvention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the apparatus, the view being taken in the plane of dotted line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of dotted line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a section on line of Fig. 2.

The apparatus may be placed upon the locomotive in any suitable location, as, for example, upon the rear side of the saddle and just beneath the boiler. The apparatus comprises a. pipe 1 which communicates at all times withthe turret A or other source of boiler pressure and with a cylinder 2 having a valve face 3. In said valve face is a port i which communicates with the valve chambers of the locomotive cylinders B through a. pipe at. A check valve 4 may, if desired, be provided in the pipe P. Coii1- munication between the cylinder 2 and the port 1 is controlled by a slide valve 5which is movable upon the valve face 3 to cover and uncover said port. The valve member 5 is arranged to be moved by a piston rod 6 upon which are mounted differential pistons T and S. The pressureiu the cylinder 2 normally holds the slide valve 5 in closed posi tion. i s

Means is providedfor admitting steam pressure from the space at the right-hand side of the piston 7 (as viewed in Fig. l) to the left-hand side thereof for thepurpose of balancing the pressures at opposite sides of said piston and thus permitting the pressure acting upon the piston 8 to move the slide valve 5 to uncover the port 4:. The

"means for thus admitting steam to the left hand side of the piston 7 comprises a passage 9 connecting the space at the right-hand side of the piston T with a valve chamber 10. In said valve chamber isaslide valve 11 which is arranged to cover and uncover a port 12 that communicates with a passage 13 leading to the left-hand-side of the piston 6. The slide valve 11 has a cavity 14 which is adapted to establish communication between the port 12 and an exhaust passage 15.

The means for sliding the valve member 11 comprises a valve stem 16 connected to the valve member 11 and slidably mounted in bearings 17 and 18. Fixed to the valve stem 16 is a sleeve 19 having a peripheral groove in which is rotatably mounted a ring or yoke 20. To. said ring is connected one end of a fly-ball governor 21 having a spring 22. The other end of the governor is attachedto the clutch member 23 of a clutch 24. The other member 25 of the clutch is attached to a pulley 26 which is arranged to be driven in any suitable manner from an axle of the locomotive. It will be seen that when the clutch 24 isthrown in, the governor 21 will move the-valve member 11 in the direction to connect the valve chamber 10 to the ort -12, whereby thepressures at opposite sides of the piston. 7 are equalized. As a result, the piston 8 moves the valve member 5 to uncover the port 4 and thus admit a small amount of steam to the locomotive cylinders. It will also be seen that when the locomotive stops, the spring 22 will move the slide valve 11 in the direction to connect the port 12 with the exhaust port 15, whereby the steam pressure at the lefthand side of the piston 7 is relieved, the Com sequent movement of the pistons 7 and 8 to the left causing the flow of steam to the lo-- comotive cylinders through the port 4 to be cut off.

The means for automatically throwing in the clutch 24 when the engineer closes the throttle will next be described. 27 is a passage connected to the pipe C that conducts steam to the engine cylinders when the engine is running normally. The .pipe A is controlled by the engineers throttle D. The passage 27 communicates with one end of. a cylinder 28. A piston 29. in said cylinder is fixed upon a piston rod 30 which is alined with the piston rod 6.

31 is a coiled spring tending to move the piston 29 and piston rod 30 in opposition to the steam pressure in the cylinder 28. To one end of the piston rod 30 is connected an arm of a lever 32, the other arm of said lever being arranged to move the clutch member 25.

' 33 is a drain openingfor the space to the right of the piston 8. 34 is an exhaust opening connecting the inclosing casing of the apparatus with the atmosphere. The oil carried by the steam keeps the parts lubricated.

Assuming that the locomotive is running normally, the parts of the drifting apparatus being in the position shown in Fig. 1,

the operation is as follows: When the engi-.

balanced pressure against the piston 8 then causes said pistons 7 and 8 and the valve member 5 to move to the'jright, thereby uncovering the port 4 and permitting a small amount of steam to flow from the cylinder 2 through the port 4 to the locomotive cylinders. It. will be understood that the passages through which steam is supplied.

from the cylinder 2 t0 the valve chests of the locomotive cylinders are so proportioned as to supply the requisite small amount of steam.

When the engineer applies thebrakes and stops the train, the spring 22 restores the gover to its normal condition, thereby moving the slide-valve 11 to thefleft and causing the pressure at the left-hand side of the piston 7 to be exhausted to ,the atmosphere. The unbalanced pressureagainst the piston 7 thus causes the pistons 7 and 8 and the valve 5 to move to the left, thereby shutting off the flow of steam to the locomotive cylinders. AH danger of the locomotive running away is thereby removed. When the engineer again opens the throttle, steam flows through the passage 27 to the cylinder 28, the piston 29 and piston rod- 50 being thereby forced to the left against the pressure of the spring 31, thus throwing out the clutch 24. The apparatus is their" in position shown in Fig. 1, and so remains until the engineer again deslres the lo-como-- tive to drift.

The check valve 4 may be used, if desired,

the locomotive cylinders and the pipe 4- when the engine is drifting.

The piston rods 6 and 30 "being alined, the rod 6 assists the spring 31 in holding the .clutch member 25 in driving engagement with the clutch member 23 While the locomotive is drifting.

If for any reason the valve member 5 should stick in the open position, the engineer can readily move it to closed position by momentarily opening the throttle to a slight extent, the steam thus admitted to the cylinder 28 causing the piston rod 30 to push thepiston rod 6 and the valve member 5 into closed or normal position. I

It will be evident that the apparatus herein disclosed automatically provides or the admission of steam to the locomotive cylinders to prevent the cylinders from actin as pumps when the engine is drifting, an also automatically shuts off such supply of steam when the locomotive stops. The engineer is thereby entirely relieved of any necessity for giving attention to the matter of admitting steam or air to the locomotive cylinders when drifting, or of shutting off steam or air when the train stops,

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination of a locomotive cyl inder, a pipe for supplying steam to the cylinder, a throttle in said pipe, a passage for supplying steam to the cylinder, a valve controlling said passage, speed-controlled means for operating said valve, and means communicating with the first mentioned pipe at a point between the throttle and the cylinder for controlling the speed-controlled means.

The combination of a locomotive cylinder, two passages for supplying steam to the cylinder, a throttle for closing one of said passage, a valve for opening and closing the other passage, pressure-actuated means for operating said valve, speed-controlled means for operating said pressure-actuated means, and means communicating with the throttled passage at a point between the throttle and the cylinder for controlling the speedcontrolled means.

3. The combination of a locomotive cylin der, two passages for supplying steam to the cylinder, a throttle for closing one of aid passage, a valve for opening and closing the other passage, pressure-actuated means for operating said valve, speed-controlled means for operating said pressure-actuated means,

and means for automatically disabling said speed-controlled means.

l. The combination of a locomotive cylinder, a valve controlling the flow of steam to the cylinder, differential pistons for moving said valve, a speed-controlled valve governing the action of pressure fluid on said pistons, and fluid-pressure-actuated means governed by pressure admitted to the cylinder for controlling the speed-controlled valve.

5. The combination of a locomotive cylinder, a passage for supplying steam to the cylinder, a valve controlling said passage, fluid-pressure-actuated means for moving the valve, a speed-controlled valve for oper- .ating said fluid-pressure-actuated means, and

ing said valve, and speed-controlled means governed by pressure admitted to the cylinder for operating said pistons, said speed controlled means including a valve governing the action of pressure fluid on said pistons.

S. A. locomotive drifting apparatus having, in combination, speed-controlled means for supplying steam to the cylinder, and means for disabling said speed-controlled means automatically actuated by steam supplied to the cylinder.

9. A locomotive drifting apparatus having, in combination, means for supplying steam to the locomotive cylinder, and fluidpressure-actuated means including a valve governed by steam supplied to said cylinder, for disabling said supplying means.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand in the presence of a Witness.

F. C. FOSDICK.

In the presence of GEORGE L. CHINDAHL. 

